


First Signs of Spring

by Anilyn



Series: Thranduil & Nänielle's Story [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Childbirth, F/M, Family, First Child, Our Family, True Love, Unplanned Pregnancy, making a family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26513545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anilyn/pseuds/Anilyn
Summary: Unlike many people, I fell in love with The Hobbit trilogy ; and more particularly, with Thranduil. It took me a while to get to understand this amazing character. I resisted him quite a bit of time... Before finally totally giving in. | The foundation of the House Greenwood. | The story starts at the eve of the Battle of the Five Armies and ends up a year after it.Original Story, Original Characters : (c)Me(c)(c)Punkerbonesmy redactor (c)
Relationships: Thranduil/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Thranduil & Nänielle's Story [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951555
Comments: 11
Kudos: 13





	1. Best of Excuses ( I )

While it was still a day that was looked upon with great fondness : It had been a little over a millenia since King Thranduil had married his most beloved Queen, Nänielle. The fantastic marriage had happened less than two years after they had first met. It had been a time of wondrous celebrations and great fanfare. The entire kingdom had rejoiced during the event, but none more than the royal couple themselves.

Now, with hundreds of years having gone by : The Elvenqueen was an experienced leader. With the ever-presence and gentle guidance of her husband, Nänielle had ascended to the throne with an impressive grace. She was a kind-hearted and compassionate ruler. It was those traits, along with her fair and gentle way of ruling, that made her adored and respected by the whole kingdom and beyond its borders.

In a stark contrast to how things had been before, the relationship between King Thranduil and Queen Nänielle was an obviously deeply loving one. They both complemented each other perfectly, with each always supporting the other.

While he still acted with the same regality and strictness he was known for, King Thranduil was obviously happiest than he had ever been. His actions and behaviors had now taken on a tone of gentleness.

Though the royal couple had no heir yet, their relationship seemed to grow only stronger each day. It was also a relationship that was notably more passionate than any other elven relationships. There was far more opened displays of affection between the two than one could usually observed between two elves. Neither of them made any attempt to hide their love for the other in front of anyone. No secrets were kept either. Everything was shared between the two.

There were a very few times though when the two had to be separated, despite their own desires.

°°°°°°°°°° °°°°°°°°°°

Grouped up in the Elvenking’s tent : Thranduil, Bard, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey were discussing the plan the hobbit had come up with. He had just brought the Arkenstone to them in an attempt to bargain for the dwarves’s lives. However, their discussions came to an abrupt stop when an unexpected visitor made their entrance .

Their identity was concealed by a large velvet hood, casting a shadow over their features. The newcomer made no sound when they stepped into the tent.

Which was quite unexpected giving the fact that it was the Elvenking’s. As such, it was wordlessly expected that anybody entering the tent would announce themselves.

Even more curious was the fact that Thranduil himself did not immediately react by ordering the stranger to name themselves or get out of his tent at once. Instead : He was still in his seat, gaze wide and locked on the slim figure who was clad in a dark blue fur-lined cloak. The mighty Elvenking appeared momentarily at a loss for words.

It was only when the mysterious guest reached up with their slender hands and pulled back the hood of their cloak that everyone realized who they were.

The Queen of the Woodland Realm. Thranduil’s wife.

The sight of her brought awed silence throughout the entire tent. 

Clad in a dark-blue, warm, finely tailored dress : Nänielle had entered with the grace and the poise only the Elvenqueen could. And she did so without uttering a word. On the contrary of what one might think, Queen Nänielle only wore a few pieces of jewelry. Of course, there was the shimmering tiara of silver and white gems she wore to remind anyone that might cross her path outside the Woodland Realm of her Queen status. The other expected piece of jewelry was her meticulously crafted wedding ring that glimmered like a real star on her slender finger. And there was the delicate and beautiful necklace around her neck, here again made of silver and white gems. It was the very first piece of jewelry Thranduil had gifted her with. It represented his coat of arms, a pair of gigantic antlers. The Queen had a reason for wearing those particular jewels. It was not because they were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but because of what they represented : The undying and unconditional love shared between her husband and she.

Out of all three of the guests, Gandalf’s reaction was the most reserved. He knew the royal couple well and had met them on more than one occasion. He had noticed at once how openly affectionate the royal couple was with each other. It was something the wizard could not recall having ever seen before with elves. As such, Gandalf watched the scene unfold with a watchful gaze. Normally, the sight of the Elvenqueen would have brought a faint but warm smile to his old features. Yet, he knew Thranduil would never willingly put his beloved wife in danger. It was almost certain that Nänielle had arrived upon her own accord.

Bard’s reaction was - by far – the most obvious of the three. The human had seen his fair share of Elves of course, especially since he was delivering merchandise to the Woodland Realm several times a week. Yet, he had never seen the Elvenqueen before. The boatman had understandably expected Thranduil’s wife would be beautiful, but it was a completely different thing to see her in person. The dark-haired man couldn’t help but be utterly transfixed by how graceful and becoming Queen Nänielle was.

As for Bilbo Baggins, his reaction was much like Bard’s even if he had seen her once before from a distance. It had happened while he was wandering through Aradhrynd but it had been no more than a short-lived moment. So now, to see her so close and for a longer moment : The Hobbit was rendered speechless both out of respect and awe.

Though she had revealed herself, Nänielle had not said a single word. Her gaze had immediately focused on Thranduil and she continued to give her husband an expectant look.

The silence lingered.

Thranduil had found himself frozen and speechless since his wife’s first steps inside the tent. Under any other circumstances, he would have warmly welcomed his Queen before introducing her. This time, however : The Elvenking was furious. A black fury had taking hold of his entire being. He had given Nänielle explicit orders to not follow him to war. A place filled with peril and dangers Thranduil did not want his precious wife threatened by. As such, he had been very direct in ordering her not to try and follow him.

His decision to get involved into this war had led to a rare but heated argument between the two. Thranduil had argued that he was not about to give up the heirloom of his people. White gems made of pure starlight. A set that had been designed for his beloved Queen. Furthermore, he also saw this campaign as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the inhabitants of Laketown. The Woodland Realm indeed had important commercial partnerships with these humans. Though she had initially pleaded Thranduil to give up on this decision, Nänielle had had no choice but to yield and let her husband having his way. She knew the Woodland Realm was in no need of a few precious stones to add to its already immense richness. The young Queen was well aware that Thranduil’s engagement into this war against the dwarves was more a matter of pride than anything else.

 ** _« What are you doing here ?! »_ **Thranduil sharply demanded upon finally finding his voice back. Of course, he opted to speak in elvish ; not wanting the others in the tent to know what his wife and he were speaking about.

 ** _« There is something I needed to tell you. »_** Nänielle answered quietly in the same language.

Gandalf was the only one in the tent that could understand Sindarin. However, out of respect for the elven royalty and, to a smaller degree, Thranduil’s upset : The wizard remained quiet. He could sense that there was something monumental that Nänielle wanted to say.

Thranduil’s memories were already going back to the only time when he thought he had lost Nänielle : When she wandered out all alone into the thick forests of Mirkwood. It had been an horrifying and heart-stopping moment. One Thranduil had sworn he would never relive.

The Elvenking’s piercing gaze – while usually enough to send even the toughest ellon into a squirming mess – affected her little. Indeed, Nänielle never flinched. It was something she was accustomed to by this point. While anybody else would have been terrified of Thranduil’s fury : Nänielle remained completely calm, poised and collected.

It was then that Thranduil, even in his fit of rage, began to realize that something was amiss. Something about the glimmer in his wife’s eyes told him she had something of the utmost importance to tell him. He knew Nänielle would never disobey him without a real good reason to do so. Concern soon overtook his anger and the King paused. He studied his Queen for a moment, before he barely tilted his head inquisitively. Leaning forward in his seat, the Elvenking drew in a breath to steady his voice before speaking. **_«_ _Nänielle… What is it ? »_**


	2. Best of Excuses ( II )

Pausing briefly as a small, warm smile flashed across her features : Nänielle looked up at her husband. Her eyes glimmered hopefully once again. And when she spoke, her voice was soft and unwavering. **_« My love : I just found out that… I’m with child. »_**

For a long moment, Thranduil remained silent and still in disbelief.

To his credit, Gandalf remained composed as well. Though he understood what had been said, he wasn’t about to divulge any information without the explicit consent of the royal pair. Especially something as monumental as what Queen Nänielle had just announced.

Thranduil felt the world freeze, as her soft spoken words flew through the air. The moment seemed all too surreal for him. It was as if both his mind and heart couldn’t fully believe what he had just heard. His eyes widened ever so slightly, as he peered down to her and searched for any sign of a lie.Thranduil knew his beloved Queen was no liar, but he just couldn’t believe what he had been told. His disbelief soon gave way to the utmost elation of the likes he had never felt before. Unable to help himself : The Elvenking rushed forward and scooped his wife up in a strong close hug. He whispered words of adoration and deep love to Nänielle before giving her a long, passionate kiss. Finally ! He was to be gifted with a child from his precious wife. Thranduil could not recall a time he had been so purely, truly happy. He couldn’t help but kiss his wife again, holding her as tight as he could while he did.

Giggling softly, the elleth savored this delicious moment. Her own joy began to shine through as tears welled up in her eyes, glistening across her lashes as she spoke. **« _I am well aware that you ordered me to remain behind, but... I could not wait for telling you. »_** The Elvenqueen explained breathlessly. **_« I had to tell you as soon as possible. »_**

Now, it was Thranduil’s turn to laugh softly. He did so before kissing his wife again. It was another fiery and passionate kiss, one to wordlessly reassure and convey how ecstatic he was. After a few long moments, the Elvenking pulled back just enough so that he could speak. He continued to caress the side of his Queen’s face, brushing away her tears of joy and still holding her as close as he could. **_« No, no… my Beloved. Do not apologize. »_** He replied with the faintest hint of a quiver in his voice. **_« This news is the best of excuses you could possibly have. If anything, I am grateful that you disobeyed my orders to tell me instead of waiting for my return. »_**

From their seats in the tent, Bard and Bilbo watched the scene unfold in silent bewilderment. Of course, they had no idea of what was being said between the royal couple. While they had remained seated, they had both been apprehensive when they had seen Thranduil get upset. They had then been in awe of the Elvenqueen when she had revealed herself. It had then been a rather confusing mix of wariness and curiosity as the two elven royals spoke. It was only now that they dared to relax a little. Because even though they may not have known what was being said, they could tell that the mood had considerably lightened. Only Gandalf knew what was going on and he had continued to remain quiet throughout the whole exchange. It was only when Thranduil allowed his elation to overtake him that the wizard did smile knowingly. He was familiar with the royal couple and knew that this was a very special occasion for them both. There was no denying that the old wizard was happy for them.

After a few moments, Thranduil composed himself somewhat. He continued to hold Nänielle close while he glanced to the entrance of the tent. When he did not see anybody else there, he looked back to his wife. **« _My beloved… Did you come here alone ? You did not travel all this way by yourself, did you ? »_** The Elvenking asked with a tilt of his head and obvious concern in his voice.

 **« _No. Of course not, my Love. »_** Nänielle reassured as she reached up to softly caress the side of her husband’s face. **_« Four royal guards and two of my handmaidens accompanied me. I simply had them wait outside. »_**

 **« I must admit… »** Gandalf stated with a light chuckle. **« I would have made more of an attempt to dress in more formal attire had I known the Queen of the Woodland Realm would be making an appearance. »**

Realization dawned on the faces of both Bard and Bilbo. They looked excitedly between themselves before looking up to the Elvenqueen.

While Nänielle seemed lightly humored by the wizard’s joke, there was no amusement on Thranduil’s features. If anything, the Elvenking appeared annoyed with the fact that Gandalf had revealed her identity.

 **« Please, Mithrandir… You know me well enough by now. There is no need for formalities. »** The Elvenqueen said gently.

Though he nodded in acknowledgment, Gandalf said nothing more in response. The offer may have been given, but he would never call her by her first name. Especially in the presence of the King.

As Thranduil took his seat once more, Nänielle stepped over to be at his side.

He continued to hold her close, a watchful gaze flicking around the tent. He also kept a hand on Nänielle’s belly, protectively.

 **« Mithrandir… Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your companions ? »** Nänielle asked, looking over briefly at Bilbo and Bard.

Though he was happy to oblige, Gandalf cast a questioning glance to King Thranduil. After his initial mistake of revealing who Nänielle was, the wizard wanted to avoid raising the Elvenking’s ire any further.

Fortunately, Thranduil noticed his look and gave a slight affirming nod in response.

 **« Of course, Queen Nänielle. »** Gandalf replied with a courteous nod. He then motioned to Bard, whose gaze had never left the Elvenqueen. **« This human is known as Bard. He is the leader of the people of Laketown. »**

Upon being introduced, Bard quickly rose from his seat. First, he raised his glass respectfully towards Nänielle before taking a couple of steps towards the elleth. **« I had heard tales of how beautiful elven ladies could be, but to see it in person is beyond compare. »**

Though she smiled politely at the compliment, Nänielle said nothing in response. She had expected as much coming from a Human. Their words tended to be simple and lacking in a certain sophistication that only elvish could achieve. Even so, he was at least being polite.

Bard then made one last step forward in an attempt to take the Queen’s hand and kiss it.

But, immediately : Thranduil pulled her back a few paces, out of the man’s reach. He shot a pointed look at Bard, while possessively holding his wife a little closer. Fortunately, the Elvenqueen was amused by her husband’s reaction and she leaned over to calm him with a kiss to his forehead.

Not wanting to complicate matters, Bard respectfully stepped down with another bow.

**« And this little Hobbit is known as Bilbo Baggins. »** Gandalf continued with a motion towards the halfling. The wizard was silently grateful Bard had minded his manners and allowed the introductions to proceed without further incident.

Upon hearing the name, it was obvious Nänielle was far more interested in meeting the Hobbit than she had been the Human. She recognized him as the one who had freed the dwarves from one of Thranduil’s dungeons. The Elvenqueen had to admit she was surprised to see that such a small being had been brave enough to defy her husband.

 **« Ah, it’s– It’s an honor to meet you, Ma’am. »** Bilbo stammered softly, appearing mesmerized by the Queen. He blinked and then quickly corrected himself. **« I mean : your Majesty. »**

Giggling softly at the Hobbit, Nänielle looked over to her husband. **« Is this indeed the little creature who freed Thorin Oakenshield and his company from your dungeons ? »**

Though he didn’t answer verbally, the annoyed look Thranduil gave his wife was answer enough. 

Nänielle just laughed softly again, favoring Bilbo with a warm and almost playful smile. Her attention then drifted back to everyone present in the tent. The Elvenqueen could distinctly pick up on the concerns and the worries each of them were carrying. Looking back to her husband, Nänielle started to say something.

Yet, Gandalf interrupted her : **« Might I inquire as to what brings you here, Queen Nänielle ? Your presence is certainly not expected in the midst of combat. »** The question was a redundant one, of course. The wizard was already well aware of the reason for her visit.

As such, the inquiry was met with a stern gaze from Thranduil. He reflexively put his hand back on Nänielle’s belly.

The gesture was explicit enough for everyone in the tent to understand the reason for the Elvenqueen’s unexpected arrival.

 **« I believe that it is high time for my Queen to return to the safety of our home. »** The King announced, as he stood from his seat. **« Allow me some moments of privacy with my wife before she departs. »**

Needing no further urging : Gandalf, Bilbo, and Bard rose from their seats. All three of them took their leave from the tent, though Bilbo and Bard each cast one last look at the Elvenqueen.

Within a few moments, the elven couple was left alone in the tent.

Turning to his wife, Thranduil drew her close once again. He had never let her leave his embrace the entire time. But now, he could be even closer to her.

Leaning against her husband, Nänielle looked up pleadingly at him. **« _Please… Allow us a little more time together. »_** The young Queen whispered, caressing the side of her husband’s face. **« _We will be apart for, at least, several days after this. That is something we have never had to endure before. »_**

As much as he knew he needed to attend to the current matters, Thranduil could not say no to his beloved wife. The situation at hand was pressing, but he would not refuse a few extra precious time with his Queen. So, leaning forward : Thranduil nuzzled his face against Nänielle’s, holding her as close and as tightly as he could. He then caught her lips with his own in a deep, loving kiss. This one was far more passionate than any of the others they had shared earlier. Then, unable to help himself : Thranduil kissed Nänielle again... and again…

Each time, she reciprocated his affection with just as much (if not more).

 **« _I... can only allow you to stay... until a few minutes before my departure.. .this coming dawn. »_ **Thranduil whispered breathlessly between kisses.

 **« _That... will have to do. »_** Nänielle gasped back softly. With that, she began trailing her gentle, adoring kisses down Thranduil’s jawline and neck.

The Elvenking groaned quietly and clung to his wife as she did so.


End file.
